ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Earth Sciences
Rise in incidence of Cyclones and Floods
“The data shows that there is a steady increase in the number of heavy rainfall events during the last three years.” -- Dr Harsh Vardhan
“Various initiatives taken by IMD have enhanced the weather forecasting capabilities”: Dr Harsh Vardhan
Based on the statistics during 1891-2017, on an average 5 cyclones develop over North Indian Ocean in a year with 4 developing over Bay of Bengal and 1 over Arabian Sea. However, in the recent past increase in frequency had been observed in formation of cyclones in the North Indian Ocean. Also studies show an increase in frequency of severe cyclones over Arabian Sea in recent years.
The details of Cyclones formed over North Indian Ocean during 2017 to 2019 follow:
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YEAR
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Frequency of Cyclones over
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Total number of cyclones
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Intensity with that of Severe Cyclones or more
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Arabian Sea
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Bay of Bengal
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2017
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1
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2
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3
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2
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2018
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3
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4
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7
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6
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2019
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5
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3
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8
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6
The occurrence of 5 cyclones over Arabian Sea in 2019 against the normal of 1 per year equals the previous record of 1902 for the highest annual cyclone frequency over Arabian Sea. Also 2019 witnessed development of more intense cyclones over Arabian Sea.
Regarding flood, it is mentioned that, the country has witnessed intense to very intense rainfall activity leading to flood scenario in the recent past. The number of stations reported Very Heavy and Extreme Heavy rainfall in the last three years, from 2017 to 2019, follow:
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YEAR
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Number of stations reported during SW Monsoon season 
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Very Heavy Rainfall 
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Extremely Heavy Rainfall 
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2017
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1824
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261
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2018
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2181
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321
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|
2019
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3056
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554
The data shows that there is a steady increase in the number of heavy rainfall events during the last three years.
IMD uses a suite of quality observations from satellites, radars and conventional & automatic weather stations for monitoring of cyclones and prediction of weather. It includes INSAT 3D, 3DR and SCATSAT satellites, Doppler Weather Radars  along the coast and Automated Weather Stations , Automatic Rain Gauges , meteorological buoys and ships. Operational implementation of improved suite of prediction models has enhanced the weather forecasting capability through assimilation of all available global satellite radiance & Radar data for the production of forecast products at 12 km grid globally and 3 km grid over India/regional/mega city domains.
Further improvements in the observational network and numerical modelling are in progress under the scheme Atmosphere & Climate Research – Modelling Observing Systems & Services  for betterment of forecasting natural disasters like cyclone and heavy rainfall with respect to accuracy, lead time and spatial resolution.
This information was given in a written reply by the Minister of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan in Lok Sabha on September 23, 2020.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
JNPT to roll out Direct Port Delivery transport solution next month
Four logistics companies have won the bid for 5 routes
1600 importers to benefit from the system
The Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust has been working on an innovative transport solution to achieve seamless and faster movement of cargo from the port to respective destinations through Direct Port Delivery. Four successful bidders have won the mandate for five routes- from JNPT to Gujarat, to Goa and Bengaluru, to Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Indore and Hyderabad, to Ahmednagar and to local regions in and around Mumbai. A meeting of these bidders was held at JNPT last week to take stock of the preparedness for the roll out of the new system from May 2018.
DPD is increasingly being accepted as the optimal way of transporting cargo directly from the port to the importers and accounts for close to 39 per cent of the total cargo traffic from JNPT at present. About 1600 importers who have opted for DPD mode of transport will benefit from this process. An exporter or importer will be able to book his cargo sitting in his office, through a technology backed platform. This new transport solution will promote
- Easy co-ordination between port and customers
- End to end delivery
- Faster evacuation of containers from the Port area
- 24X7 Vehicle tracking
- Container tracking through mobile
- 24x7 Customer service
Prime Minister's Office
PM greets people on Mahashivratri
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people on the occasion of Mahashivratri.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "देशवासियों को महाशिवरात्रि के पावन अवसर पर ढेरों शुभकामनाएं। हर-हर महादेव!
Greetings on the special occasion of Mahashivratri. Har Har Mahadev!"
Ministry of Finance
Cabinet approves proposal for capital infusion for OICL, NICL and UIICL
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its in principle approval for capital infusion for three Public Sector General Insurance Companies, namely, Oriental Insurance Company Limited , National Insurance Company Limited  and United India Insurance Company Limited .
In view of the above, Cabinet has allowed immediate release of Rs. 2500 Crore in the light of the critical financial position and breach of regulatory solvency requirements of 3 PSGICs viz. OICL, NICL and UIICL.
Prime Minister's Office
PM appreciates success of National SC-ST Hub Scheme
The Prime Minister has praised National SC-ST Hub Scheme which crossed more than a lakh beneficiary registrations
Replying to the Union Minister Shri Narayan Rane, the Prime Minister said that strengthening of MSME amounts to strengthening of every section of society.
The Prime Minister tweeted :
"बहुत-बहुत बधाई! MSME सेक्टर को सशक्त करने का अर्थ है- समाज के हर वर्ग का सशक्तिकरण। राष्ट्रीय SC-ST हब स्कीम की ये सफलता उत्साहित करने वाली है।"
Ministry of Home Affairs
CBI registers a case against a private company and others on the allegations of causing loss of Rs. 80.73 crore to SBI and conducts searches
: Mumbai, July 10, 2023
The Central Bureau of Investigation  has registered a case on complaint from State Bank of India, Mumbai against a private company based at Mumbai and its Director and Unknown Public Servant & Private Persons. It was alleged that the said borrower company & its Directors availed credit facilities on the basis of manipulated stocks-book debts statements, financial statements with inflated figures/ over stating sales, income & profit in order to be able to draw higher volume of amounts from the Banks and thereby diverted the entire loan amount without its end utilization. An alleged loss of Rs.80.73 crore  was caused to Bank.
The accused are:  M/s. Parth Foils Pvt. Ltd. ,  Mr. Partho Bijoy Dutta, Director of M/s PFPL, and  Unknown Public Servant & Private Persons.
Searches were conducted at several places including at Mumbai, Ghaziabad and Baddi in Solan District of Himachal Pradesh, which led to recovery of incriminating documents, hard disc, electronic gadget etc. Investigation is continuing.
Please see further details in FIR/RC No.0682023E0009 dated 01.07.2023 of EOB, CBI, Mumbai as available on CBI website.
Ministry of Defence
Acquisition of Defence Equipment
The capital procurement of defence equipment is undertaken based on threat perception, operational challenges and technological changes and to keep the Armed Forces in a state of readiness to meet the entire spectrum of security challenges.
During the last three years  and current financial year , Government has accorded Acceptance of Necessity  to 138 capital acquisition proposals that promote indigenous sourcing/manufacturing. Main features of Thermal Imaging Night Vision Instrument are as follow:-
- Provides vision in pitch dark night.
- Used during day for viewing through dust and smoke in the battlefield.
- Used for Surveillance and Target Acquisition for firing on the target.
- Fitted on land based, naval or air-borne platform.
The following major systems indigenously developed/integrated have been inducted in to the Armed Forces namely Airborne Early Warning & Control  system, missiles under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme , Radar, Sonars, Torpedoes etc.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik in a written reply to Shri Anil Firojiya in Lok Sabha today.
ABB/SS/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy
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Ministry of Education
India and UK to strengthen education collaboration
Foreign Secretary Raab hails India’s National Education Policy 2020 as visionary, says it will strengthen education as a living bridge between the two countries
A joint Task Force to be set up for Mutual Recognition of Academic Qualifications
Education Minister says this will support India’s efforts for internationalization of education
India and the United Kingdom have expressed the resolve to further strengthen their educational collaboration. In a bilateral meeting between Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Foreign Secretary of UK Rt. Hon. Dominic Raab here today, the two countries agreed to deepen their engagement in the field of education and research, and work collaboratively on mutual recognition of academic qualifications over the next year. Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Secretary, Higher Education Shri Amit Khare and senior officials of the Ministry were present in the meeting.
UK Foreign Secretary Rt Hon. Dominic Raab hailed India’s National Education Policy 2020 as visionary, and said the proposed reforms will open up opportunities for students, the economy and for deeper engagement and collaboration between the two countries. Recalling Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s statement during his visit to UK in the year 2018 that education is a living bridge between India and UK, Mr. Raab said this policy will help make this bridge even stronger. He said UK has a lot of respect for the academic rigour coming out of India, and the contribution of the Indian student community is highly valued by his country. He also informed that UK has made several changes in their visa and immigration rules to facilitate student mobility.
India and UK have agreed to set up a joint Task Force consisting of designated higher education organizations from both countries to work towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications. The composition of the Task Force and its modalities are to be decided at official levels.
Speaking on the occasion, Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said that setting up of a joint task force will expedite the process for achieving mutual recognition of academic qualification. This will support India’s agenda for internationalization of higher education. He said the agreement to work towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for creating a globally mobile workforce and internationalization of Indian higher education, as proposed in the National Education Policy  2020 rolled out in July this year.
Speaking on India’s educational ties with the UK, Shri Pokhriyal said the relations between the two countries have been very positive and cooperative. Today’s agreement signifies continued mutual trust between them to elevate ties through education, research and innovation.
Both sides expressed hope and confidence that they would further enhance mutual engagement in the field of education, research and innovation, leading to deeper and stronger bilateral relations.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Space-time induces neutrino oscillations
Scientists have shown that the geometry of space-time can cause neutrinos to oscillate. Neutrinos are mysterious particles, produced copiously in nuclear reactions in the Sun, stars, and elsewhere. They also "oscillate"-- meaning that different types of neutrinos change into one another – as has been found in many experiments. Probing of oscillations of neutrinos and their relations with mass are crucial in studying the origin of the universe.
Neutrinos interact very weakly with everything else – trillions of them pass through every human being every second without anyone noticing; a neutrino’s spin always points in the opposite direction of its motion, and until a few years ago, neutrinos were believed to be massless. It is now generally believed that the phenomenon of neutrino oscillations require neutrinos to have tiny masses.
Professor Amitabha Lahiri of S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences  an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology , Government of India showed in a paper published along with Subhasish Chakrabarty, his student, that the geometry of space-time can cause neutrino oscillations through quantum effects even if neutrinos are massless. It was published in the journal ‘European Physical Journal C’.
Einstein’s theory of general relativity says that gravitation is the manifestation of space-time curvature. According to the SNBNCBS team, neutrinos, electrons, protons and other particles which are in the category of fermions show a certain peculiarity when they move in presence of gravity. Space-time induces a quantum force in addition to gravity between every two fermions. This force can depend on the spin of the particles, and causes massless neutrinos to appear massive when they pass through matter, like the Sun’s corona or the Earth’s atmosphere. Something similar happens for electroweak interactions, and together with the geometrically induced mass it is enough to cause oscillation of neutrinos.
Publication link:
DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-7209-2
For more details Amitabha Lahiri  can be contacted.
Ministry of Tourism
Ministry of Tourism inaugurates PATA Travel Mart 2023 in New Delhi
Ministry of Tourism organised inaugural ceremony for the PATA Travel Mart 2023 in New Delhi today. The 46th edition of the Pacific Asia Travel Association  Travel Mart 2023 is being organised at the magnificent International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre , Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi. The Mart is being organised from October 4th to 6th 2023, bringing together tourism professionals and business stakeholders from across the world. The physical version of the Travel Mart is being held after a hiatus of three years due to the pandemic.
On the occasion Chairman PATA Peter Semone thanked Ministry of Tourism to host the event. He said that PATA travel mart is an opportunity to highlight unique destinations and members to develop networks , learn and socialise for delegates from all, over the world and for business to expand. He said that Travel for Life is a fantastic initiative and is worth replicating across the world.
On the occasion Secretary,Tourism Ms V. Vidyavati said that PATA travel mart has proved to be a catalyst for tourism in Asia Pacific region.She said that tourism is one of greatest unifiers and PATA recognises that and it is an opportunity to learn from each other.She further added that Travel for life is inspired by LiFE Mission and focuses on greener cleaner and harmonious development of all tourist destinations.
This year the event features different activities, including the prestigious PATA Gold Award, the PATA Youth Symposium, PATA Forum on Sustainability besides the B2B Mart.
India is also participating in the PATA Travel Mart in a substantial manner. A designated pavilion for India at the Mart will create an immersive experience of the gamut of destinations in India both known and lesser known. Other State Governments such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh and other in line Ministries such as Handlooms Development Commissioner are also putting up stands and stalls for displaying their products. Although the Mart is an exclusively B2B Mart, it will help bring forth the diverse gamut of thematic products such as wellness, adventure, heritage, culinary and art and craft of the different States to a global audience.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association  founded in 1951, with its Head Quarters in Bangkok, is a renowned not-for-profit association recognized internationally for its role as a catalyst in the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region. PATA Travel Mart is one of the important international trade exhibitions catering to the tourism sector and it serves as a platform for trade interactions between global buyers and sellers mostly from the Pacific Asia region. The Mart w brings together exhibitors and attendees from diverse sectors, offering a unique platform for networking, learning and collaboration, from across the globe and specifically from the Asia Pacific region.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Dr. Harsh Vardhan addresses Joint G20 Finance and Health Ministers Meeting
“Need to focus on creating effective health systems for improved pandemic preparedness”: Dr. Harsh Vardhan
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare attended Joint G20 Finance and Health Ministers Meeting through video conference, here today. Saudi Arabia bestowed with the Presidency of G20 grouping hosted the session.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan extolled the virtues of investing in public health, an approach already underway in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi.
The transcript of his speech is as follows;
Chair & Honorable Ministers
The current pandemic and the global crisis arising out of that highlights, more than ever, the need for national and global solidarity.
Flattening the curve globally will require international, multisectoral collaborative efforts to ensure that health systems across the world are able to maintain sufficient capacity to address the flux of complicated COVID-19 cases and protect the vulnerable and elderly in the world population.
We need to focus on creating effective health systems for improved pandemic preparedness. While all the other action plans are a response to a pandemic, a well-developed healthcare system can support even in containing the pandemic.
There is a need to ensure that access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines is fair and equitable. Access to protection should not be a factor of ability to pay.
India with a history of frugal and quality manufacturing will continue to play its role through our Make-In-India and Make-for the World endeavor and will support fully the development of research and digital capabilities for managing delivery.
We all need to capitalize on existing programs such as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator , and ensure equitable global access to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, while strengthening health systems.
Inspired by experiences of previous outbreaks such as SARS in 2003 and Ebola in 2014–2015, global solidarity is a must in order to prevent further morbidity and mortality. Examples in leadership and collaborations should be celebrated as examples to follow. Open communication and transparency will be crucial in monitoring the evolution of the disease in the global effort of flattening the curve.
India is committed to Universal Healthcare Coverage and in these stressful times, India stands together with the world to realize the shared mission to save lives and protect people’s health, and to re-energize the global economy at the earliest.
This is also a time for decisive public health leadership and for preparing for future waves and the post-COVID-19 era
Public health leaders must look beyond borders. Only by learning from the global experience in our battle against a virus that respects no borders, can we honour the lives already lost and implement life-saving measures for current and future patients.
President's Secretariat
President of India to Visit Bihar Tomorrow
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, will visit Bihar  tomorrow . In Pusa, the President will grace the first convocation of Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University. He will also address the 8th convocation of NIT Patna in Patna, before returning to Delhi.
Ministry of Finance
Income Tax Office calls upon citizens to help curb the use of black money in General Elections 2019
A 24 x 7 control room has been set up in Mumbai by Investigation Directorates of Income Tax, to curb the use of black money in General Elections 2019.
The Office of Director General of Income tax , Mumbai is gathering intelligence and keeping a strict watch over the movement of cash and valuables and on other unlawful means of influencing elections in the constituencies of Mumbai, so as to take necessary action under Income Tax Laws.
The toll free number for registering complaints/ providing information regarding black money circulation and its use for election purposes is 1800-221-510. Information can also be furnished on landline number 022-22820562 or through Whatsapp Numbers 9372727823 and 9372727824.
To ensure free and fair elections and curb the use of black money in elections, vigilant citizens are requested to pass on any information regarding stocking, movement and distribution of black money / cash / gold / silver, etc., on the telephone numbers given above.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Swachhata Pakhwada concluded in Cochin Port
Swachhata Pakhwada was observed in Cochin Port from 16/09/2021 to 30/09/2021 with various programmes including Shramdaan cleaning by employees at their workplaces, office premises, boats / tugs and public spaces in the Port area.
On the valedictory day of Swachhata Pakhwada yesterday, the distribution of Hygiene kits to employees engaged in maintaining general upkeep within the Port area and the two municipal corporation wards in Willingdon Island, was inaugurated by Dr. M. Beena, Chairperson, Cochin Port Trust. Vegetable seed packets were distributed to selected employees of all departments of Cochin Port Trust for developing vegetable gardens at their homes. As an initiative towards popularizing the use of green energy, the solar lights installed at the Embarkation Jetty  by Cochin Port Trust were also inaugurated by the Chairperson.
A Cycle Rally to spread the message of Swachhata was held on 28/09/2021 with the participation of sportspersons of Cochin Port Trust and CISF personnel of Cochin Port Trust.
Awareness classes were conducted for the employees of Cochin Port Trust by Medical Department on importance of clean environment and by Marine Department on the importance of keeping water bodies clean. Banners and stickers highlighting the importance of cleanliness were placed on the Ro-Ro vessels, boats and at important locations in the Port area. Short film contest and Poster Designing competition on ‘Swachhata’ theme were conducted for the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya during the Pakhwada period.
Divyaang access facility was constructed at the office of the Wharf Superintendent, Ernakulam Wharf, during the Pakhwada period.
Best maintained offices in each Department of Cochin Port Trust were identified and suitably awarded during the Pakhwada period.
Fifteen truck loads of wastes/garbage were removed from different places in Willingdon Island and dumped at the designated place during the period.
Considering the pandemic situation, the programmes were conducted in compliance of the social distancing and other safety measures in place.